Attack on Warframe
by Sir Fart
Summary: Deep in the underground, a mining operation uncovers something: an ancient being with technology far beyond comprehension. Follow the story of a lone tenno in his fight to survive the threat of the titans and unlock the secrets of this new world. Friendships will be made, blood will be shed, and emotional rollercoasters will be ridden! (Frequent updates, stay tuned!)
1. chapter 1

Before we begin, I have some things to say. First: this is my first real story, so even if you didn't read very far in, tell me what you think of it. Second: I've been playing a lot of warframe, and I decided it needed a good crossover story. Attack on titan was a good candidate. Third: this story will for the most part follow the AoT timeline, with some major deviations later on. So don't expect me to perfectly fit everything. Last, I OWN NOTHING IN THIS STORY. Without further ado— sksoajvnrkshv@:$.$/!.),@:!-WAKEUPTENNO1!7:!meslakci

Chapter one: Discovery

Location: WALL SINA, Underground city

"That's it men! Put your backs into it!" The mining team was hard at work excavating the tunnel, all working without sunlight in the cold, muggy cavern. Due to a sudden increase in population underground, the government had ordered an expansion of the cave to accommodate the new arrivals. The sound of hundreds of pickaxes rang throughout the area, almost deafening. "I hope this goes well…" the supervisor muttered to himself. The work was dangerous. Unsafe terrain, falling rocks, even disease, somehow. If this work ever got done, it better have been worth it.

CLANG

"Sir! I think I struck something!" A miner called out. Mineral deposits were normal to find during excavation, which were tossed aside for later use. "Well, break the damn thing!" Replied the supervisor.

CLANG CLANG CLANG

"It won't budge sir! I think it's made of metal!" Now, the other miners had looked over to the commotion, seeing the worker's dilemma.

"What now?"

"I don't know."

"Try getting it out."

"QUIET! We dig around and see what it is." The man snapped. A few minutes later, and more of the strange object had been dug out, revealing a scratched up inscription. Nobody could read it, or had even seen the text before. More digging, and the object was fully extracted.

"What...IS this thing…?"

"To fuck if I know."

"Hey look, there's a mold. Looks like a handprint."

"Push it. See what happens."

To the workers' surprise, the object began to glow an intense teal light from lines etched into it. A metal covering lifted, a glass window defrosting. A CHILD. Just...sleeping there. And next to it, a bulky creature in the form of a man, with no eyes, mouth, or any other facial features. There was a horn-like protrusion from its head, much like a beetle. For the first time in weeks, the cavern was dead silent. With the ice gone from the glass, the hand mold lit up a bright yellow. And a small floating machine detached from the metal tomb, and observed its surroundings.

"PRESENT IDENTIFICATION."

Everyone flinched, backing away from the strange device. It was unlike anything anyone had seen, just floating there without wings or cables.

"C-can you understand us?" A brave soul had stepped up to the machine.

"AFFIRMATIVE. I AM PROGRAMMED WITH OVER 200 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. SENTIENT LIFEFORM COMMUNICATIONS ESTABLISHED."

"So uh...what's in the metal sarcophagus?" Another miner piped in.

"CLASSIFIED. ASK SOMETHING ELSE."

"What are you?"

"I AM AN OROKIN CRYOPOD SENTRY. DESIGNED TO PROTECT CRYOPODS UNTIL ITS OCCUPANT IS AWAKENED BY AUTHORISED PERSONNEL."

"Authorised personnel? Buddy, I'm not sure if you're aware, but you've been imbedded in this tunnel. To be completely buried in stone, you've probably been here for a very long time." There was a long pause, with the sentry's eye, or what equates to an eye- looking around it.

"If you've been here that long, any authorized personnel are probably long dead. Hate to break it to you."

"CALCULATING...CALCULATING...CALCULATING...ERROR! CRYOPOD TIME STASIS RECORDS CORRUPTED. DATA INACCESSIBLE. THIS IS A PROBLEM. WHILE I DO NOT TRUST YOU YET, I MUST ABIDE BY PRECEPT 26."

"What's precept 26?" Everyone, including the supervisor was staring intently at the floating drone.

"PRECEPT 26 DICTATES THAT IF AN OCCUPIED CRYOPOD IS TO LOSE CONTACT WITH THE TENNO RELAY, I AM TO GRANT ACCESS TO ANY FRIENDLY INTELLIGENT CREATURES UNTIL CONNECTION IS RE-ESTABLISHED."

"Well, that's convenient. So, can we open the pod?"

"AFFIRMATIVE."

The drone floated back over, and placed itself back in the cryopod's hull, followed by a loud hiss and vapor escaping from the glass seams. The child stirred, groaning as melting ice dripped down his face. After a few minutes, the child's eyes opened, looking around the pod. He sat up, and saw the many faces staring at him.

"Where...Am...I…?"

END OF CHAPTER ONE


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two: Awakening

Location: WALL SINA, Underground city- Town hall

The mayor had taken the child to the town hall and given him blankets and warm cocoa. "There you go, kid. Feeling any better?" A shy nod from the boy satisfied his concern. The military police had been contacted, for the mayor didn't know what to do with a child and the unknown technology found with him. Especially the large humanoid that was nestled beside him. "This has been quite a strange day…" the mayor sighed, adjusting his glasses.

The MP's had brought a wagon with the intention of transporting the artifacts for later dissection and study. At the sight of them carrying the limp form, the boy's eyes lit up with terror. He sprang up, and ran over to the soldiers, ramming into one to knock him over. "HEY! The fuck, kid?!" The child had put his hand on the figure's head, and both glowed with the same teal light as before. With a blinding pulse of light, the child had disappeared, but the humanoid remained. It started to move. For the first time, it started to move and stood straight up, with the MP's gazing in sheer terror at the sight. The creature took a step forward, a soldier raised his gun.

"Don't you take another step!" No response. It kept walking.

"I'm warning you!" No response.

"You asked for it!" A shot was fired, and rang through the town.

To the MP's horror, it was still standing. It had something in its fingers.

"Oh god...that's impossible…!"

He caught it. A perfect bullet held in his fingers. He inspected it for a moment, flicked it away, and kept walking. He would continue walking, until he found a gateway to the surface. Locked. Of course. For the creature, a tall gate was not a problem. With agility unlike any human could have, it scaled the gate and perched on the top, getting a better view. A castle lay in the distance, and his goal was set: Find out where he was.

It felt like forever walking. Although, the open field was nice, with the occasional rabbit or groundhog running from him. He eventually came across a large town, which he hadn't considered having to go through. It completely slipped his mind. Going around that long town would take too long, so he did what he did best: Jump.

Rooftop to rooftop, he bounded with both speed and grace, with some people noticing his spectacular feats. He ignored them, for he didn't have time to chat. Nor did he want to. He kept moving, finally, he lept down to the ground and continued on his way. It wasn't ideal that more people saw him, but at least he got to stretch a bit.

The figure stood before the castle in all its glory. Remembering his training, he braced himself and knocked on the huge gate door. He sprang up and clung to the top of the door.

"Huh? I swear I heard somebody knock." Someone had opened the door. Perfect. Completely silent, he grabbed the door frame and swung inside, with not a single peep from anyone. "Charles! You messing with the damn door again?!" He yelled.

Charles was asleep on the sofa in the lobby, snoring softly. This was way too easy for him. Such a large base with so few guards. Tsk Tsk. The creature made his way to a long hallway along a long window, looking out to the field. There were two guards here. At least they were doing their job. As he climbed onto the ceiling, he noticed small rims he could walk on. That made this even easier. A guard passed under him, seeing an opportunity to strike.

"I hope Wendy's alri—WAHMMMPHH!"

He was staring face to...no face with a monster. The creature held a finger to its face, gesturing to be quiet, as he slowly uncovered the man's mouth. Listening to his self preservation, he complied. The creature jumped down, and crept slowly over to the other guard, now gazing out the window.

He tapped his right shoulder.

"Hmm?"

A sucker punch from the left. Classic.

He was down and unconscious, with the other guard simply watching, flabbergasted. The creature looked back at him and raised its hand, wiggling its fingers as a sort of taunting wave. It bounded down the hall, and out of sight.

He found a door, which had just what he was looking for: The Archives. Everything he needed to know must be here. He opened what appeared to be a history book, with a blue grid appearing on the pages. He flipped a page. And another. Another. Another. Faster and faster, scanning it until the book was closed. He picked another book. What puzzled him was its contents. It was the same. No deviations, just the same text verbatim. He closed the book and opened another. All the same. Every. Single. One. Nothing about him, just some story of humans being eaten by giants called "titans".

Creeeeeeak

He slowly turned to see someone standing in the doorway. This one was different. He was wearing armored plates. Most likely, he was a knight. "Just who do you think you are?! This is a restricted area!" The creature slowly closed the book and set it back on the shelf in its place. The man drew his sword, gleaming in the sunlight. It had been too long. He was itching for a fight. The creature walked over to him, and took his sword right out of his hand. He didn't want to kill. Not yet, anyway. He turned to the man, an eyeless face burning a hole in his. To get his message across, he did the one thing he could: disarm him. With inhuman strength, the blade bent. Further, and further…

SNAP

The blade was now shattered, on the floor in a hundred pieces.

The knight was terrified, adrenaline pumping through his veins.

The creature simply pushed him out of the way, walking out the door.

He made his way to the entrance again, with newfound knowledge about his world, opened the gate and headed off down the path. He thought to himself about the books. The titans and humanity fighting them. He had scanned a letter with something about a wall being breached, and a titan plugging the wall with a boulder. He didn't know what these titans were, but he was now very, VERY intrigued. His new goal: find the "Survey Corps" and make it rain titan blood.

END OF CHAPTER TWO

Wow, chapter 2 done in like, 20 minutes! I really hope you're enjoying the story. I just realized I haven't even named our Tenno friend or his operator. I'm probably going to do that in chapter 3. Anyway, keep on reading! Oh, it's probably going to have some lore spoilers from the "Second Dream" quest in warframe, so I should probably put a spoiler warning


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Contact

Location: Wall Maria, Trost district ruins

Life was cruel. Specifically, human life. The Tenno were tough. Not only their regular fleshy bodies could take a beating, but the Tenno were given the gift and curse of void power. The gift, being extraordinary endurance, strength, and various abilities that wouldn't leave them fighting barehanded. The curse, being treated as monsters. Humans however, were soft and squishy and could easily be killed, considering the fact that giant monsters were running around.

As the Tenno walked through the once bustling town gazing at the rotting corpses of the fallen, what he saw down the road spooked him, to say the least. A large human. Butt-naked too. It's face was deformed and contorted into a wide, unmoving, toothy frown. Is this what a titan is? Yes, it had to be. What other giant monsters would be here in a desolate and destroyed town?

The beast stirred, moving its entire head in the tenno's direction. Debris and rubble slid off it and fell to the ground as the titan stood up. Slowly, it lumbered towards the Tenno. Knowing that he was going to fight, the Tenno stood his ground and drew a small dagger from a hidden pouch in his frame. Having second thoughts about fighting with such limited weaponry, the Tenno did what any sensible person would do: Run like the wind!

The Tenno ran throughout the town, with the beast still following him, unmoving eyes and mouth watching him intensely. After running for about 7 minutes, he heard a loud Chop, and turned back to see the giant falling to the ground, steam spewing from the back of its neck. A girl had felled the beast, like a mighty forest tree. She now stood on its evaporating body. She had hair black as the abyss, and eyes equally devoid of emotion. He thought to himself: Thank you.

The girl turned to him, wide eyes staring intently at where his should be. She sheathed her blood soaked blades, and spoke.

"Who are you?"

No response.

"Not much of a talker?"

The Tenno shook his head a bit, attempting to look as innocent as possible, for fear of hostility from potential allies.

"Hmph. Well, if you're going to help with the cleanup, look for survivors. You don't have ODM gear, so you can't do much against titans." He decided to listen to her, and started off to turn over debris and broken structures. He heard a zip, and saw the girl flying overhead by grappling hooks and a gas propulsion system. Probably the "ODM gear" she spoke of. She flew off towards the center of town, most likely back to her headquarters where other soldiers resided. Feeling tired for the first time in days, the Tenno sat against a stone wall, and a blue light flashed again. The child appeared next to the frame, now motionless, and sat down as well. "So THAT'S a titan…ugly son of a gun…nice to get some fresh air. Well, back to work I suppose." With another flash, the Tenno stood back up, and walked down the path to where the girl flew.

Location: Resupply depot

"Hey, Mikasa's back!" A blonde haired boy exclaimed. "Any survivors?" He asked.

"No human survivors, just some titans and...something else. I'm not sure how to describe it, but it was being chased by a titan. I helped it out." Mikasa told him.

"What was it?" The boy asked, his eyes now full of a mixture of fear and curiosity.

"It walked and moved like a man, but I'm pretty sure it's not human. It looked almost like a suit of armor, but then again, it was too agile to be armor. Perhaps it was a creature of some kind." She went on to describe the encounter, its eyeless face, and its inhuman agility.

"That's incredible! I wonder where it came from…"

Suddenly, as if the plot demanded it, a knock was heard on the depot gate.

"I'll get it." Said the blonde.

He opened the door, only to find nothing there. He closed the gate, turned around and saw before him the very same creature Mikasa had described. He stumbled backward, falling on his behind, backed against the door

"Uh...I...Hi?" The boy was nearly scared to death, this THING standing here in the flesh. He was surprised, as it reached out its hand, offering to help him up. He took its hand, and was pulled up, feeling the full force of its strength.

"Sorry, I get spooked easily…" The boy said shyly.

The creature nodded in understanding, and started going up the stairs.

It opened the first door, and found a number of soldiers gathered around a table, now staring at him with wide, curious eyes. Among them: the girl he met earlier. She stood up and walked to the creature, which she now realized was at least three feet taller than her. "Hello again." She began. "I'm guessing you followed me here."

The thing nodded, now looking around at the other soldiers.

"Mikasa! Is that thing what you told me about?" She nodded in confirmation.

"Yes Armin, it is." He now knew two names: the black eyed, emotionless Mikasa, and the blonde haired Armin.

A man walked in. He was shorter than everyone else, but he looked strong nonetheless.

"Alright brats, status report. Casualty count."

"37 soldier casualties, Sir! Civilian evacuation was successful." Mikasa was the first to respond, a fist clenched against her chest. "Who's this weirdo?" The short man asked. "We...have no idea Captain." Armin also saluted. "Mikasa found him in the district ruins being chased by a titan." He continued. The short man stared silently at Armin, then Mikasa, and finally the Tenno. His gaze was cold, and sharp. Sharp enough to even make the Tenno flinch. He attempted the salute he saw earlier. The man's eyes perked up, and he returned the salute. "Name's Levi. Corporal Levi. If you wouldn't mind, I have to take you back to headquarters for questioning. Nothing personal. Just protocol." The Tenno nodded, and left the room after Levi. He noticed the insignia on his cape: a shield with a blue wing and a white wing crossing. He remembered the books he scanned, remembering that he saw the same symbol.

He realized that the Survey Corps had come to him.

END OF CHAPTER THREE

Woo! Chapter three is done! And Holy crap, I am just cruising with these chapters! So, the Tenno has finally met the scouts. At least one of them. So, I was thinking of adding in the tenno orbiter to bring other warframes into the story. Okay, I forgot to name the Tenno. SHIET. well, it'll probably happen during chapter four.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Interrogation

Location: Courthouse underground cell, Precise location unknown

It was cold. Cold, and messy. It seemed like it was barely clean. The Tenno sat on the cell bed, chained by a decently lengthed chain. It felt weak. He could probably break that, but he wouldn't want to risk hostility from his captors. Although this was "just protocol" the Tenno couldn't shake the feeling that these people were afraid of him. Afraid, almost as much as that other guy 3 cells down. He tried to remember who he was. Ernie? Evan? No, that's not it. "Alright Eren." He heard a woman's voice in the distant hall. Ah. That's what it was. "Judge Zackley is waiting. Don't screw this up." He heard a cell door open, and a chain fall to the ground with a distinct, loud jingle.

About an hour passed, and the Tenno was lying on the bed, twirling his dagger. It was the only way he could possibly pass the time that didn't involve an escape attempt. He heard footsteps and sheathed his dagger, careful not to be seen with it.

It was Corporal Levi, the man he met earlier. He was not alone however, for a large, blonde man followed and sat in the chair outside the cell. Levi leaned against the wall nearby. The man was...intimidating. Not the sort of brute-strength kind of intimidating, but instead his expression and posture were that of a leader full of confidence. If Levi was a corporal, this must be his commander.

They stared at the Tenno for a moment. He did likewise, waiting for someone to speak or make a move. "Well?" Levi questioned. "Are you gonna say something or are you going to just stare at us?" The Tenno hesitated, then decided to indeed speak.

He spoke, but to everyone's confusion, all that came out of him was mechanical static and garbled nonsense. He began to panic. The two outside couldn't see his expressions for he had no face, but could clearly tell the Tenno was distressed.

"Is something the matter?" The blonde man raised an eyebrow. "Now that I think about it, this guy hasn't said a word to anyone." Levi chimed in.

Looking around in panic, the Tenno was trying to think of something. Of course! The Tenno sat straight up, and looked at the two, and made a scribbling gesture.

"Hmm. That'll work." The blonde man said. Relieved that his message was clearly received, he slouched forward a bit, conveying a sigh of relief. The blonde man had walked away, and returned three minutes later with a pencil and a thick notebook.

"Alright. Now, onto proper introductions. My name is Erwin Smith, and this is corporal Levi Ackerman. And you?" The cell door opened, and Levi gave him the pencil and notebook. Immediately, the Tenno started writing. "It appears my warframe's vocal processors are damaged. How much, I'm not sure, but the damage is enough to cause a language barrier. They will need to be repaired as soon as possible. As for my name, my name is Daresh. My warframe's designation is Excalibur." Daresh laid down the pencil in the center of the page, closed it, and handed it back to Levi.

They opened back to the bookmarked page, and read silently. After a few seconds, Erwin looked back to Daresh. "Well now, this just sparks more questions." He said in an almost friendly tone. "Whether you're willing to comply or not, we must have a trial to determine whether you will live or die. Humanity has been getting very paranoid recently, and cannot take many chances." Daresh beckoned to have the notebook back. He started to write on the next page. "With your approval, I would like to request a mission to retrieve my Liset orbiter to make use of its foundry systems. The foundry is used to forge tools, resources, even weapons and occasionally new warframes. During the hour before you came to my cell, I had picked up an orbiter beacon on my navigation systems. I assure you, my intentions are pure. The code of the Tenno is to defend the innocent and help those in need. Judging by the titans running around, I think it's safe to assume you need some help." Daresh handed the book back, and Erwin read the new inscription. He closed the book, handed it to Levi, to which he read the page as well. "If you wish to help us, then you have nothing to fear. I will need to make an appeal to Judge Zackley. Until then, you will be in Scout regiment custody until the official trial date." Daresh thrust out his left hand and gave a thumbs up, accidentally snapping the chain he forgot was even there. Everyone was dead quiet. A door down the hall flung open and two guards ran down the hall. "We heard something break! What happened?" One asked.

"It's nothing, gentlemen. False alarm. Our friend here is just very strong." Erwin stated. Did they actually support him? Either way, he had finally made a new ally.

END OF CHAPTER FOUR

Well, sorry this chapter was shorter compared to the others, but this was mainly just an exposition dump chapter. Good stuff coming in the next one!

Also, if you ever decide to play warframe, it's gonna be really grindy. Worth it though. "Welcome to Warfarm, grab your spade." —RackoWacko, 2017


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Judgement

Location: Judge Zackley's office, two days after Daresh's interrogation

Zackley's office was quiet for the moment. All that was heard was the ticking of the oak wood clock on the wall and the frequent scribbling of a pen. For Zackley, an ordinary day was a hectic one. He had spent most of the day cooped up in his office signing paperwork. Mostly appeals, approving transfers, signing forms, and settling an occasional domestic dispute. He shifted through the edges of the remaining pages, when one name caught his attention. The appeal was from the leader of the Scout regiment, Erwin Smith. The judge, now filled with curiosity separated it from the rest of the mountain of paper. He adjusted his glasses, and read the document over.

"Dear Judge Zackley, two days ago, we encountered a strange humanoid creature in the Trost District ruins in the aftermath of Eren sealing the breach. According to a cadet, who wishes to remain unnamed, the creature was being chased by a titan when she intercepted it. The creature was said to be self-aware as it seemed to follow orders to look for survivors. Corporal Levi had brought the creature to the courtroom cell block, where we questioned its identity and motives. In this document, I have included the journal with marked pages he used to communicate with us, due to malfunctioning 'Vocal Processors'. I hope you will consider the offer he proposed to us, as an ally with such advanced technology will be a valuable asset to humanity. I will go into greater detail in person.

Sincerely, Erwin Smith"

The judge turned to the left of his desk, observing the red notebook mentioned in the letter. He opened to the bookmarked pages and read them, Eyes slowly widening.

He finished and closed the book. He sat there for a moment, contemplating what to do. Finally, he sighed, adjusted his glasses, and picked up his pen and began to write.

Location: Courthouse, one week later

Daresh was nervous as hell today. Today was the day that his fate would be determined. Live or die? His survival depended on making a good impression. Even if the worst happens, he wouldn't go down without a fight. He would be forced to fight, and the Tenno fought very well, even barehanded. His cell door creaked, a guard opening it. "Geez, we're getting all kinds of freaks recently." How rude. He thought.

Daresh stepped out of his cell and was put in handcuffs. He was no stranger to restraints, as younger Tenno often became violent in their early years due to mental breakdowns from rigorous mental and physical training. These handcuffs were made of a cheap aluminum metal, much too weak to hold a Tenno. Daresh was led upstairs into a long hallway, which led to a set of wooden doors. The doors opened, and he would have been shoved in, if it weren't for his warframe's immense weight. Instead, he simply walked in and sat cross-legged in the center of the room. People were already staring at him. Judge, Jury, and potential executioners. Judge Zackley sat high above everyone else, looking down at Daresh. He cleared his throat and spoke. "Alright, let's get down to business. Daresh, was it? Erwin Smith has informed me of your proposal and to say the least, you have my attention. Would you like to elaborate and inform the jury, Mr. Smith?" Erwin stood up. "Of course, Your Honor. Daresh has informed us that somewhere outside the wall, there is an abandoned piece of technology that he is familiar with. This technology he called the 'Liset' has an advanced forging system used to fabricate various items of use. We are not sure what kind of other uses it has, but it will nonetheless be a great asset to have. Daresh has asked to plan a scavenging operation as soon as possible with few troops as to minimize casualties." There were murmurs around the room as eyes focused on the sitting Tenno. A voice shouted from the back of the jury. "We can't trust him! If this technology is as advanced as you say it is, he could wipe us out before the titans do!" Zackley turned to the voice. Nile Dok had spoken out. "First we let the titan kid go, then we get this guy?! Look at him! He doesn't even have a face! He could be thinking about anything in there!" That remark struck a nerve in Daresh. He twitched a bit, unseen by anyone. "How could could something so hideous possibly be an ally? He's probably planning our demise right now! I say we kill it." Now he was angry. "Not so fast Mr. Dok, your argument for execution is not without flaws. Daresh has proved himself innocent thus far." Zackley was now visibly irritated at the outburst, his hand now holding his face. "Who cares! We don't know what his intentions are. He's a complete mystery to us! And mysteries are dangerous!" Nile was flustered, face bright red from his outburst. Daresh was now seething with rage.

"If anything, he could be worse than titans. He's a monster!" Monster. He hated that word. With a loud snap and clank, Daresh's handcuffs fell to the floor, bits and pieces of chains falling after. His warframe began to glow and a teal light bathed the room, blinding everyone for a moment.

When the light faded, there was Daresh, floating in his human form, covered in a teal aura, his teeth bared and energy flowing from his hands. Everyone was afraid now. Even the stoic Levi had a hint of fear. Daresh turned and faced Nile, who was now on the verge of shitting himself in fear. Never had he encountered a titan, much less something like this. Daresh floated over to Nile, and hoisted him up by his shirt. "Never…call me…a MONSTER. I was born just as human as the rest of you, yet you see ME as the threat?! There are titans outside those walls, and I doubt you have any idea what you're even up against! There are people DYING out there and you have the balls to push away an offer of help! You best watch your tongue, Mr. Dok. I would really hate to introduce you to the void…" now relieved of his anger, Daresh floated back to his warframe, and with a flash, his warframe had started moving again. Everyone looked at him in a mixture of fear and astonishment. After a brief moment, Zackley spoke. "After much consideration, I have reached a conclusion. I hearby approve Erwin's proposal for a salvage operation, as well as placing Daresh in Scout custody." With a quick swing, his gavel hit the podium, and Armin, who was in the jury stepped towards Daresh. He held out his hand, and the Tenno pulled himself up. "Sorry you had to go through that. I had no idea you were human. From now on, we will treat you as such." Armin told him. Erwin walked over to them, and cleared his throat to announce his presence. "I was genuinely frightened by your outburst, but I'm thankful you didn't resort to violence. I believe you might have been killed if you did." Daresh lowered his head in shame. He felt horrible for being unable to control himself. "There's no room for self-pity in the scouts. Come on, let's go home. We've got preparations to make." And with that, they exited the courtroom, and took a wagon ride to the Scout's temporary forest headquarters.

The trial could have gone better, but it could have been a lot worse.

END OF CHAPTER FIVE

Well, that escalated quickly. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I think I'm going to put out some filler chapters, then start the female titan arc after the salvage mission. As for what to expect next chapter, let's just say I forgot that Hange Zoe is a thing.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: Rest and Relief

Location: Scout regiment temporary forest headquarters

The forest: A beautiful place where wildlife flourishes, animals scamper around, plants grow, and the base of the Scouts.

The base was a large abandoned castle. Well, WAS abandoned, until the scouts took up residence and Levi cleaned the place up a bit. It felt homey, it had multiple bedrooms, a mess hall, even a horse stable. Daresh gazed up at the mighty fortress in awe. He thought to himself: It's certainly not as big as the walls, but it's still pretty big. The horsedrawn wagon came to a halt as Erwin pulled on the reigns of the horse. Snapped out of his trance, Daresh jumped off the wagon, and walked off to the castle doors. "We have returned!" He heard Erwin shout. "We have a new arrival." A few heads poked out of the windows and looked from the stables. Soldiers came out, and saluted Erwin and Levi, to which they did the same. Among them was a green eyed boy, a redheaded girl, a boy whose face somehow resembled a horse, and a girl with her hair in a ponytail and glasses. So many new faces now looked at Daresh with wonder and curiosity. "Gentlemen." Erwin began. "Allow me to introduce Daresh. He was the creature encountered in the Trost ruins." Their faces tensed up, except for the girl in glasses. Her eyes were still wide and full of wonder, like a child in their first snowfall. She let out a childlike squeal, and ran up to Daresh. "Hi there! My name's Hange! My goodness, you're quite the interesting specimen! I can't wait to see how you tick…" She was now close to Daresh's face, way past his personal space. As politely as he could possibly get the message to her, he took a step back. "Oh my goodness, my apologies! I get a bit carried away!" She apologized. "Let's get you inside." She led Daresh inside to the dining room, where everyone followed. After everyone had taken their seats, The green eyed boy spoke to Erwin. "So, what's so special about this guy?" Erwin turned to him. "Daresh has knowledge of advanced technology that could greatly assist the scouts. Despite his intimidating appearance, he is indeed human under that exterior. Daresh, I believe it would be easier to communicate if you came out and spoke directly." Daresh nodded. In a flash of teal light, his warframe became motionless, and Daresh now stood beside it. He cleared his throat. "Ahem. Hi. I'm Daresh. You probably know that by now. I am a Tenno warrior from the Kronia relay. Now, before everyone starts getting paranoid, yes. I'm on your side. While I am capable, Killing you would be incredibly counterproductive, and wouldn't be fun for either of us. Any questions?" The green eyed boy's hand shot up immediately. "Hi. I'm Eren Jeager. Uh, what exactly do you plan to do here?" He asked. Daresh raised an eyebrow. "Well, I plan to find the liset ship that crashed outside the walls, figure out where I came from, how I got here, help you guys out, and kill some titans along the way. Would you care to tell me YOUR story?" He replied. Eren took a long breath. "Well, it all started five years ago, when the colossal titan kicked down the shiganshina wall gate…" Daresh interrupted him. "Please give me the short version." Eren rolled his eyes. "Fine. Colossal titan kicked down the gate, mom died, I joined the military, friends died, found out I can turn into a titan, lifted a boulder to plug a breach, went to trial, now we're here." Daresh responded with a distinct Aaaahhhh. It appears Daresh had woken up at a convenient time. "So does anyone know what these 'titan' things are?" Everyone's face now had a look of dread.

"Oh no."

"Oh god why."

"You said the T word."

Daresh had a look of confusion, until he saw Hange's face and realized his mistake. "Oh by the void, what have I done?" He was barely heard as Hange dragged him out of the room and down the hall.

A few minutes later, Hange dragged Daresh into her lab and pulled up two chairs, and they sat down. "Shall I start?" Hange was beaming with excitement, while Daresh looked more concerned for her mental stability. "Well, first of all…"

[INSERT TITAN BIOLOGY LECTURE HERE CUZ IM A LAZY BUTTHEAD]

Two hours had passed, and Hange was still talking. Daresh was barely awake, nodding off out of sheer boredom. He regretted asking. He really, really did. Levi poked his head in the door. I'm saved! Daresh thought to himself. "Hey kid, report for training in 5 minutes. Out back." Daresh got up, Hange looking mildly disappointed.

Now fully awake, he headed back to the dining hall, only to find his warframe missing. Daresh panicked, until Levi put a hand on his shoulder. "Relax. We brought it out back. We're not going to steal your stuff." Daresh calmed down a bit, beginning to trust the scouts. He went out the back door, and saw soldiers flying around on ODM gear, swinging swords at cardboard titan cutouts. "Wow. You guys are pretty good." He said to Levi, standing next to him. "We're the strongest that humanity has to offer, of course we're good." Levi snapped. "We're going to have to train you from the ground up if you're going to work with us. Come on. Let's get you geared up."

Levi led Daresh to a shed nearby. Inside, there were mannequins in scout uniforms wearing ODM gear. Levi took one of the models and stripped it of its gear. Turning to Daresh, he motioned to follow him to the training grounds. Once there, Levi gave him the equipment and spoke. "Welcome to the scouts."

END OF CHAPTER SIX


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Training

Location: Training grounds, behind Scout's castle

"Alright, kiddo. Off you go." Erwin said to Daresh as he zipped off into the trees. Eren spoke to Erwin, worried. "Shouldn't we teach him how to use it? He could get hurt pretty bad trying to figure it out." Erwin stared off into the distance. "He learns incredibly quickly. I have no doubt that he'll figure it out in a few minutes." He said. Daresh, now fiddling with the grips for the gear, was flying through the trees at breakneck speeds. "Well, this is certainly no archwing, but it'll do just fine." Testing the waters of his new device, he attempted to u-turn around a tree which went surprisingly well. What he failed to account for was the wire still embedded in the tree, which yanked him back, sending him plummeting to the ground. He never felt the impact. Someone had caught him, and laid him down on a low hanging branch. He was thankful, as that fall may have killed him. Mikasa had swooped in, a caught him at the last second. "Do be more careful." She scolded. She hooked into a tree, and swung off.

About a week had passed, and Daresh had gotten the hang of flying around on the ODM gear. He easily outmatched anyone who tried to keep up, using his own momentum instead of prolonged gas usage. What he didn't understand was why gas was a necessity for the equipment. Sure it had a reeling mechanism, but if it ran out of gas, the gear would stop functioning entirely. He had found this out the hard way himself once or twice. Landing on a nearby tree branch, Daresh looked at his two blades, then to the cardboard titans. The blades were flimsy, and easily broken as he had seen from other soldiers. The main compartment of the ODM gear acted as a sheath for multiple blades. They might be weak, but they cut through titans easily, so long as you aim them steadily. Daresh thought for a moment, then an idea sparked in his head. With his hands glowing, he focused on the blades, and they glowed a bright teal. He zipped off, and swung a blade at the cardboard monster. He had cut straight through the sandbag, and chopped the thing's head off. He stood proud, admiring his new technique. "Hey!" A voice called to him. "We need those, you twit!" Oluo stood, glaring at him. Oluo was...something. He tried so hard to imitate Levi, to a point where it became obvious and almost silly. To top it all off on this egomaniac, he often bit his tongue mid-sentence, getting a laugh from all present. Daresh was no exception. "Sorry dude. Just trying something new." Daresh responded sounding as casual as possible.

A flash of lightning was seen from the distance. Daresh flew to the edge of the forest, and what he saw scared him. A titan. A huge, muscled titan with glowing green eyes, exposed teeth, and long, black hair. He flew as fast as he could back to base, and took a horse from the stable. He rode out to the site, and stared in horror at the beast before him. He saw the scouts with the beast, and noticed their expressions. "Why is everyone so calm?! It's a titan!" Daresh yelled. "I assume you haven't been witness to Titan Eren yet?" Hange greeted him, eyes bright as ever. "Titan...Eren?...OOOOOHHH." He got off of his horse, and walked over to the beast. "Wow, you look...different. So, you feeling alright?" He asked. Eren gave a nod and a grunt. "Huh. He can still understand us. Cool. I'd love to get a blood sample once we find the liset." Hange was now focused on Daresh. "Oooh! Do you share the same fascination as I?" She was now way too close. Closer than last time. "Uh...no. No I don't. However, if these powers are artificial, and not genetic, I'd like to attempt to recreate the effects and possibly improve it." Daresh was stroking his chin, feeling his stubble and stray hairs. Erwin walked over to him. "Tell me, is it even possible to do such a thing?" He was now almost as curious as Hange. "Technically yes. Gene manipulation was a common science where I'm from. From practical genetic improvements, curing diseases, to even just breeding pets, it was pretty useful. We most likely would need to gather the components. That's the hard part." Erwin nodded. "I see. We must venture out as soon as possible." He stood proudly. "Speaking of which, we must discuss a plan of action for retrieval for the liset."

Daresh thought for a moment. "Well, I already know where it is, but we should mainly figure out how we're going to actually get there. Let's go back to base so we can discuss." He said as he mounted his horse.

Back at base, the scouts were gathered around the dining hall, chatting away until Erwin entered the room. "Scouts. Today we discuss our plan of action for the salvage mission. Tomorrow, we make history."

END OF CHAPTER SEVEN

ALL ABOARD THE HYPE TRAIN! Choo choo!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: Salvage

Location: Scout headquarters, Dining hall

Daresh was twiddling his thumbs waiting to be addressed. His comrades were chatting, discussing the best course of action. Although there were many ideas being passed around, none would work. Either due to risky moves, time constraints, or other problems. After half an hour of bickering, Daresh slammed his fist on the table. With everyone's eyes now on him, he spoke. "Ahem. Gentlemen, if I may? I am well aware of the long range scouting formation, but I have to throw that aside on this one. There are too many risks. Our recovery team will be composed of a small, tightly packed squad consisting of Erwin, Hange, Eren, Levi, and yours truly. The squad will ride side by side with each other, and avoid as many titans as possible and race straight toward our goal." Daresh was drawing on a large planning sheet, indicating their respective positions. The scouts were now watching with great interest, when Mikasa spoke. "Why Eren?" She asked. Daresh looked up from his sketching and responded plainly. "In case anything goes wrong." Mikasa was a bit concerned. Eren was everything to her, and now he was being put on the front lines by this guy. "Eren's titan form is our final line of defense. Levi, being the first." Levi raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me? What gives you the authority to order us around?" He snapped.

"He does." Daresh pointed to Erwin, who nodded to Levi. "Fine. You better have a plan." Daresh cleared his threat. "Anyway, yes. Levi is our primary attacker. Since we would be so tightly packed, titans should engage us only one or two at a time. Hange will assist Levi, with me guiding us, and Erwin issuing commands to the rest of the squad. Any questions?" Daresh looked around the room, waiting for a hand to raise.

"No? Alright. Let's get moving." With that, the soldiers stood up, and exited the dining room. Later, the Scouts geared up, and set off on their mission. Guided by Daresh's beacon, they made their way through titan infested lands.

Location: Great Plains, Titan territory

So far, everything had gone to plan. Very few titans had been spotted, let alone approached. Eren called to Daresh up front. "I'm surprised this is working! I expected at least one casualty or injury." Daresh looked back and gave a thumbs up.

"Whoa. We're getting close. Really close!" He was brimming with excitement. "This way!" Daresh pointed off in the distance, and Erwin ordered the others to follow. After a few minutes, Daresh's beacon began flashing and beeping wildly. "I think we're here!"

He dismounted his horse and approached a large hill. The beacon was going wild. "The ground feels hollow here…try digging into the dirt here." Daresh took his shovel that he packed and started digging. The other soldiers did the same, until Hange hit something. "I think I found it!" She exclaimed. Rushing over, Daresh dug around with his hands for a moment. Sure enough, a metal hull was now visible. "How are we going to transport this thing?" She asked. Daresh, with a maniacal grin said "Oh we're not transporting it...it IS the transport." The scouts looked with a puzzled expression as Daresh dug around. "Aha!" He brushed away a patch of moss and pulled a small switch. With a loud whirring, a part of the ground peeled up to reveal a hatch. Daresh jumped down, and lit a torch. The interior was relatively intact for being abandoned for so long. "This place is so cool!" Eren exclaimed. Daresh walked to the front and pressed a few buttons. With a few beeps and a loud Kerchunk, the ship roared to life and its lights illuminated the interior. "Do you now see what Tenno engineering is capable of? We have come so far from the days of old." Daresh looked at them with a smug face. Erwin was still looking concerned. "But how are we going to get it back to base?" He asked. "Wait a moment, I'm getting there." Daresh walked back to the front of the ship, sat in the pilot seat, and pushed even more buttons and levers. With a soft humming growing louder and louder, the ship rose up from the ground, dirt and grass falling off of it. "There we go. You guys might want to hang onto something." He pushed the control rod forward, and the ship zoomed off in the direction of the scout's castle. It was amazing for them. They were flying faster than the ODM gear could ever hope to carry them. Minutes go by, as the ship was much faster than horseback. The scouts arrived back at the castle, and stepping down from the ramp under the ship. The rest of the soldiers watched, astonished by what they saw. Erwin addressed the crowd. "Our mission was a complete success! With that, we have access to new resources. More resources means better equipment. Expect many upgrades in the future. Everyone, Dismissed!" The soldiers saluted, and went back into the castle.

Satisfied with his work, Daresh retired to his quarters to get some well earned sleep.

END OF CHAPTER EIGHT


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: The Cephalon

Location: Scout Headquarters, The next day

"Daresh. Wake up. We have a situation with the ship. Please get dressed and come outside." Daresh, eyes half open, responded to the voice with a groan and got out of bed. He got dressed and went downstairs. "There you are." Levi said to him. "Armin was looking for you. He's outside." Daresh nodded and opened the front gate. The ship was whirring and beeping, swinging a mounted railgun around the underside of it. All Tenno ships came with onboard weapons and targeting systems, but this just seemed...aggressive.

"Daresh! Over here!" He heard Armin calling from behind a large tree. The turret turned, and fired a blast from the cannon, leaving a scorch mark on impact. Daresh ran over to the tree Armin was behind, careful not to get shot in the process.This was NOT how Daresh wanted to start his day..."We got a problem. So, I was pushing some buttons and it started humming, and then I heard an angry voice telling me to get out, and now it won't let anyone near it!" Armin was panicking, his hands clenching the sides of his head. "A voice? Armin. If this is what I think it is, we could have a new friend." Daresh poked his head out. "Hey! Over here!" The turret turned to the voice, its barrel still red hot from the last shot. "Whoa, hold your fire. We're friendlies." Daresh stepped out from behind the tree with his hands up. "Do you speak English? Grineec? Corchek? Gats klem?" Before he could finish, the ship spoke. "Whadda you want?" Surprised, Armin poked his head out. "I was just documenting the inside of the aircraft." The rail gun charged up again. "Oh no, no way! No way I'm letting that guy back on!" The voice replied. Daresh stepped forward. "They're just curious. He's never seen Tenno technology before. What did he do?" Daresh asked. "He poked absolutely EVERYTHING!" He sighed and lowered his hands. "Well, I must inform you that termination of friendlies under Tenno supervision is a capital offense."

The ship retracted its turret. "Wait, you're a Tenno?! Oh good lord, my deepest apologies operator! I had no idea! I had the impression these people were just filthy scavengers." The ship opened the boarding hatch and the ramp lit up. "Come on. Let's go back in." Daresh and Armin walked up the ramp back into the huge ship. Once aboard, the interior was illuminated, and the voice spoke again. "Is everything in order operator? I haven't been able to perform maintenance in so long…" Daresh looked around, then addressed the voice.

"What is your cephalon designation?"

"How did you know I was a cephalon?"

"Tenno transports don't talk and operate on their own.

"Fair point. Kenos. My designation is Kenos."

"Alright. Kenos? Verify foundry blueprint file integrity."

"Yes operator. One moment...All blueprints accounted for."

"Good. My warframe's vocal processors are damaged, and need repairs. Is the foundry system operational?"

A workbench sprung to life and began moving a mechanical appendage over it.

"I will take that as a 'yes'. Kenos, I must retrieve my frame. I will be back momentarily. And Armin? DON'T. TOUCH. ANYTHING." Daresh walked back down the ramp and into the castle. Minutes later, he returned to the ship. With him, he also brought a set of ODM gear. Daresh stood near the foundry and exited his warframe. "Kenos, in addition to warframe repairs, could you attempt to improve this device and its weapons?" He asked. "Certainly. I love tinkering." Putting the gear on the workbench, Daresh stood for a moment, watching the cephalon at work, when an idea popped into his head. "Hey Kenos? How many warframes are currently stored in your armory?" A door at the far end of the ship opened, revealing a room filled with warframes on individual pedestals, each in a heroic pose. At the end of the room, a wall with high-tech guns mounted across it.

Now THIS is what a proper arsenal looks like.

Daresh and Armin walked in and ogled at the glorious sight before them.

"Is everything to your liking, operator?" Daresh stood there with his mouth watering. "So many guns, so little time. Kenos, have you finished repairs?" Snapped out of his trance, he walked back out and over to the workbench.

"Yes sir. All repairs complete. Would you like me to prepare the construction of an archwing to accompany it?" Daresh nodded and walked back to his warframe. With a teal flash, his warframe was brought back to life. Daresh cleared his throat.

"Ahem. Testing, testing, one two three. Ah, it feels good to be able to talk in this thing again." Daresh cracked his knuckles. Wandering around, Armin walked into the armory and admired the many new things. Dozens of things to look at, but one thing caught his eye. A warframe stood motionless. It was gray, with an orange inner lining. Its helmet was in pristine condition, Armin being able to see his reflection in it.

He looked down to see a plaque with a single name: "Vauban".

END OF CHAPTER NINE

Okay, for those who don't play warframe, Vauban is a more tactical warframe, using traps like mines, tripwires, gravity fields, and crap like that. He works best with a full team and he's an absolute nightmare to play solo; camping in one spot or otherwise. Like, seriously. If you run vauban, for the love of god: never go solo. You will regret it. Should I give the scouts an opportunity to use the other warframes? I feel like it could be...fun. Let me know by reviewing this chapter and I'll take any ideas you give me!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Transference

Location: Scout headquarters, Wall Maria

After the discovery of the liset and the wonderful things held within it, the scouts have decided it's time to learn how to use them. Hange, Mikasa, Eren, Armin, and Sasha were gazing upon the armory, and the glorious treasures it held. "Anything catch your eye?" Daresh had come inside the ship and stopped just outside the armory. "There's lots of stuff in there, so let me know if anything catches your attention." Daresh was about to leave, when Armin piped up. "Uh, I did see something. Something called 'Vauban'. What is it?" Daresh walked into the armory and put his hands behind his back. "Vauban. That's a name I haven't heard in a long time. Vauban is a defensive Warframe, using tesla mines, tripwires, and gravity fields to deter and otherwise incapacitate his foes." Daresh looked at the heroic frame in question, and sighed. "However, I might be the only one able to use it...WAIT! Kenos!" A metaphorical lightbulb had appeared over Daresh's head as he ran out of the armory. "Huh! What? Apologies, I was in hibernation. What is it, operator?" The cephalon was now fully awake and aware. "I need you to run diagnostics on the somatic link! Armin? Mikasa? Take Vauban off the stand and follow me." Daresh jogged down to the end of the ship, rounded a corner leading to a large chamber with a spacious walkway and a pod at the end of it. Behind it, a large, amorphous, white material that bent and contorted on its own. "Ugh, this thing is heavy." Daresh turned around to see the two carrying the limp Warframe by its head and feet. "Bring it here, into this room. Oooh! This is going to be interesting!" Daresh was jumping up and down, clapping his hands together like a giddy little kid. "Diagnostics complete. All systems operational." The pod opened revealing a curved seat, and a dim orb hung from the top. "Unfortunately, the link is out of power. You will need to charge it." He walked into the room, and braced himself as teal energy flowed from his hand. "This is so interesting! So much to learn from this!" Hange was diligently scribbling notes down while watching with her full attention. Daresh thrust his hand out, and the energy erupted from him in a tight beam straight towards the dim orb.

With more and more exposure, the orb grew brighter and brighter, and the white material moving faster and shifting constantly. After a few seconds, it was done. The somatic link was now fully operational. "Whew, that always tires me out. Alright, who wants to go first?" The scouts looked at each other, then to Daresh. "No volunteers? Huh. Well then, Armin! You first!" Armin looked afraid, unsure of what was happening. "First for what? What do you want me to do?" Daresh stood smiling. "Why, pilot Vauban of course. Armin's eyes widened then looked at the limp body propped against the wall. "How? I can't use any powers like you can!" The Tenno stepped to the side and gestured to the pod.

"Let me explain something called transference. Transference is what I use to pilot my Excalibur warframe. It is the thing that lets us breathe life into these empty shells. Come, sit in the pod. You will see what I mean." Armin nervously stepped forward and sat in the pod. "The bond between Tenno and Warframe is a sacred one. Transference is used to project the mind into a surrogate body, while the operator stays safe. It will feel much different than the existence you are use to, but you will eventually walk around like you were born that way."

Armin looked around and gulped.

"Alright, whenever you're ready."

Armin nodded and the pod door shut. He was breathing rapidly, but quickly slowed, his mind going blank, before falling into unconsciousness.

Location: Armin's mind, ???

"Where am I? Hello! Is anyone out there?" There was nothing but a blank white landscape and the echo of his voice. The hard, White ground ran for what looked like miles, forever even. Armin looked around, looking for something, anything. At last, he saw a figure in the distance. He started walking towards it, and he soon saw its figure clearer. There, Vauban stood, motionless in the vast landscape. He slowly made his way to the frame, standing tall and mighty. "Well, what are you doing here?" The Warframe's head tilted down to look at Armin, his face reflecting off its shiny helmet. "Eep! You're alive?!" Armin took a step back. The Warframe slowly extended its arm, and held out its hand. It spread its fingers, and stood there. Armin looked down at his left hand, and pressed it against the huge metal hand. He felt dizzy, but kept pressing his hand. Without warning, he woke up.

Back on the ship

"Gah! What! What happened?!" Vauban sat up, looking around panicked. The scouts looked at him with wide eyes. "Well, how does it feel?" Vauban turned his head to see Daresh walking down the path. "How does it feel to be in a warframe?" Vauban looked down at his hands. "What?! Where are my hands! These aren't my hands! This isn't my body!" Daresh rolled his eyes. "Armin! Get a hold of yourself!" Armin, now realized what happened. He was in a Warframe. He looked back down at his hands, and clenched them. He tried to stand up, fumbling around for a moment before regaining his balance. "This is amazing! How is this possible? What can I do in this thing?" Armin had so many questions, his mind racing. Daresh put his hand on Armin's shoulder. "First, tell us for the record what you saw. Hange? Note time." Hange turned the page in her notebook and started writing. Armin described the feeling of transference and Vauban standing with him in the empty world. Daresh stood stroking his chin, deep in thought.

"The empty landscape you were in is normal. Everyone who uses a Warframe sees it for the first time." Armin nodded, thinking back to the empty void. "Do you feel tired? Any sort of...nausea? Dizziness? Anything?" Hange asked him. "Well, it definitely feels different. Not in a bad way, it feels like I'm wearing a suit of armor. I feel protected. Powerful, even." Hange started scribbling. "That's completely normal. You might need a while to get used to moving around. Go on, try it." Daresh waved his hand around the room, and Armin took a few steps forward. He stumbled around, but quickly learned to walk and run effectively.

"Hey, I think I'm getting the hang of this! What else can I do?" From stumbling to running around, Armin had begun doing more intricate movements. After a quick lesson, Armin was rolling around, running up and across walls, and doing god damn backflips. "I had no idea something so bulky could be so agile! This is incredible!" Daresh smiled, proud of his new pupil. "Well, would you like to try a bit of sparring in your new body?"

Armin nodded, and Daresh walked out, and came back with Excalibur. Eren grabbed Daresh's shoulder. "Please go easy on him. I don't want to see him get hurt." Daresh gave a thumbs up. "Come on then, let's go back outside so people can see us." The scouts walked out of the room and out of the ship.

Location: Training grounds, 20 minutes later.

The majority of the scouts had gathered around to watch the two dueling suits. The exchange of blows was a glorious sight to behold. Armin was quickly learning how to use Vauban in combat, dodging and parrying blows. Daresh however, was getting bored rather fast. "Come on Armin. Is that the best you can do? Grineer troops fight better than you, and they just bum-rush. Didn't you learn anything from hand to hand combat?" Armin threw a right hook, only to have his arm caught and get twisted. "Gah! Ow! Ow! Ow!" Armin tapped Daresh's arm, conceding. He let go, and stretched his back out. "You did pretty well for your first try. You can only get better from here."

Armin looked at his hands, then rotated his shoulder. "Why do I feel pain in this? Isn't this thing mechanical?" Daresh sighed and spoke. "Warframes are a union of metal and flesh. I won't go into the specifics on how they're created, but to make it as easy as possible to understand, let's just say they're made from an organic metal. They have a nervous system and central brain functions. They respond to various stimuli much like a human body would."

Daresh could faintly hear Hange murmuring and scribbling furiously

"Well, I think we've made decent progress here. I'll go get Armin unlinked and then we'll get some lunch." Daresh went back to the ship to get Armin. In a few weeks, the scouts would have to prepare for the 57th expedition.

END OF CHAPTER 10

So, at the time of uploading this, THE PLAINS OF EIDOLON ARE HERE! Go download Warframe and enjoy the new expansion! Seriously, it's amazing! When I first saw the plains, it was magnificent. Ooh, speaking of the plains, should I include an eidolon encounter in the 57th expedition? I feel like it could be interesting. One last thing, thank you all SO MUCH for all the positive support! It really melts my heart, ya know?


	11. Chapter 11 Part one

Chapter 11: The Void, Part One

"They're devils, Margulis. They're devils in the bodies of gods."

"They're just children! You can't blame them for what they are. Even if they are devils, they need guidance. For what is faith without a figure to follow?"

"The council will be the judge of that."

"No! I won't let you take them from me! They need a mother!"

"Mama? What's happening?"

"Daresh, go back to your room ok? Mommy has grown up things to do right now…I love you my sweet angel, I always will…"

"No! Get away from him, you bastards!"

"Mama!"

"Sweety, run! Run and don't turn back!"

Location: Scout headquarters, Wall Rose

Daresh woke up in a cold sweat, panting and gasping for air. Another nightmare had plagued his sleep. However, this one was different. It felt too real for his taste, far too real to be just a dream. He got dressed, and went out into the dining hall. It was still dark out, the sun just rising over the horizon. Hange and Eren were at the table, Hange blabbering away and Eren looking just about ready to blow his brains out. Daresh lumbered in, and slumped down in a chair with a heavy Thump.

"Morning, sunshine. Sleep well?"

"Eren, do you ever have nightmares?"

"Sure. Pretty often, actually."

"No, not the weird, fantastical nightmares, I mean the ones where you watch horrific events unfold again and again."

Eren was dumbstruck, unsure of what to say.

Daresh looked at him with pleading eyes, almost on the verge of tears.

"Yes...yes I do."

"Then you now know that even the Tenno have psychological torment."

"Is there any way we can help?"

Daresh crossed his elbows on the table and put his head down. Hange mimicked him, their eyes meeting. Daresh described his dream in detail from what he saw. Outside, people were pressing their ears against the door and walls, trying to listen.

"Margulis was like a mother to us Tenno. They took her away from us. We fought back. It was a violent uprising against the orokin. From what I remember, the orokin massacre was led by Inaros, king of the sands. I remember being among those in the fight, I still remember the blood that covered my hands…I remember their screams, I tore children from mothers, brothers from sisters, mothers from fathers. I remember those countless Tenno fighting and dying for their freedom, much like the scouts."

Erwin had taken a seat. He stared at Daresh, eyes filled with sorrow and anguish.

"I still remember the aftermath. Bodies everywhere, littering the ground. We were without guidance, bloodied hands in search of a new purpose. A figure rose to calm our cries, the great sentient queen, Lotus. The Lotus taught us; sent us down a new path. The Tenno founded five great schools: Madurai, Varazin, Naramon, Zenurik, and Unairu. We studied these principles to perfect and control our power to protect the innocent."

Daresh had glistening tears streaming down his cheeks. Other soldiers came inside to comfort him, trying to resist breaking out into tears themselves.

"If I've been asleep underground all this time, the Tenno might be extinct, save for me. I...I need to visit the void. I need to know if there are others. Perhaps they still live, perhaps not. Either way, we should also be able to get some extra supplies."

The room was silent, only the faint sound of crickets outside the window remained. The scouts exchanged glances, nodding to each other.

"Daresh, what is the void?" Erwin asked him.

Daresh sat for a moment, staring blankly at the wall.

"I...don't know how to describe the void...it's beyond my comprehension. Even the orokin didn't understand it. I doubt we could. From what I DO know is that a Tenno's power comes from the void. I don't know much else. Since there's only one somatic link on the ship, we could only have one Warframe active at a time, not including me. All Tenno are connected to the void, and I'm curious as to how your bodies will react to it. One way or another, the Tenno will live on."

Eren shifted his eyes around the room, then back to Daresh.

"Eren, how would you like to wield the power of the Tenno legacy?"

Eren's eyes shot open, the emerald green orbs focusing on him. Mikasa held Eren's arm, her protective side rearing its head.

"Do you really think I'm capable of doing that?"

"I'm a bit reluctant. The void acts differently for everyone. I'm not sure what it might do with you. However, if Armin could learn how to use a completely foreign piece of technology in less than an hour, I have a good feeling you'll be fine."

Erwin leaned back in his chair. "Then it's decided. Daresh, you will take a team into whatever this void-place is, and look for Tenno survivors."

Location: Base courtyard, 2 hours later

Daresh and Armin were sparring in the courtyard while Sasha, Jean, and Connie were hauling supply crates into Daresh's ship. Eren, Mikasa, Levi, and Erwin were inspecting the arsenal of various guns, blades, and strange combinations of the two.

Mikasa lifted a weapon off the rack. It appeared to be an orange grip with a cylindrical mechanism on the top of it. At the press of a trigger, the mechanism opened to reveal spinning blades and a long, flexible cable. A smile spread across her face like wildfire, a small hint of mischief in her expression. Daresh and Armin entered the ship to enjoy the air conditioned interior. Air conditioning was a luxury for them, since sophisticated technology like this was far out of their reach. The two sat on the floor, panting and wiping the sweat from their foreheads.

"That was a good match. You're...hah...getting better...phew...You still need to work on your stance. You leave yourself open." Daresh was about ready to collapse when he heard the whirring of blades coming from the armory. He saw Mikasa holding the whip, dangling it close to the ground. Daresh took a deep breath before talking to her.

"Careful with that. The Atterax is about as painful as it looks. It's frighteningly efficient at slicing and flaying skin from the bone. I wouldn't advise swinging that around unless you have experience using whips." Mikasa's eyes shot open and she dropped the whip, reeling her hand back.

Author's Note: For now, I'm going to try a new type of dialogue format so it's easier to understand who's talking and when. Sorry for the spontaneous structure change, but I think it's for the best. I don't want to have to keep putting meaningless expressive bits at the beginning of a single sentence. (Also it gives me a chance to use witty one liners.)

Eren: You Tenno have some very...interesting weapon designs.

Daresh: you should see the redeemer. Half sword, half shotgun.

Eren: That is so stupid.

Daresh: But it works. If it's stupid and it works, it's not stupid.

Erwin walked to Daresh and gestured him outside. Daresh followed him back outside to the courtyard.

Erwin: So, what's the plan for the void? Should we use the long range formation?

Daresh: No, the Void is in space. You know, beyond your planet's atmosphere? The void is open space. We'll need the liset to navigate.

Erwin: Chances of survival?

Daresh: Eh, pretty good. The Orokin towers are probably still operational. However, that does mean there are probably corrupted soldiers there.

Erwin: Corrupted? Please elaborate.

Daresh: I will address everyone at once. Just know for now that we should expect a fight on arrival.

Erwin: The supplies have been loaded onto the ship. Shall we head off?

Daresh: Indeed we shall.

Back on the ship, 5 minutes later

Daresh gathered everyone onto the ship, and saluted in front of the group.

Daresh: Scouts! Today, you will be the first people of your kind to explore space. It will be dangerous, almost as dangerous as beyond the walls. Almost. Upon arrival to our destination, we should expect a fight. Corrupted soldiers will most likely be swarming the place. That is why I highly suggest you grab a gun or other weapon of choosing from the armory and prepare yourselves. When everyone is ready, we shall depart. I salute you!

The scouts saluted back, and went off to the armory.

Levi chose the dual ethers, Mikasa deciding to try the atterax, Jean chose the Ack and Brunt, Sasha instantly took interest in the Daikyu and the Ballistica.

Erwin decided the Destreza rapier would be a fine choice. Armin chose to use two simple Lato pistols, while Eren found two orange and black grineer sub-machine guns. (We all know what I'm talking about.) Hange used the Latron, Petra with the Vectis, and Oluo using his standard ODM gear.

Location: Planet's orbit

The scouts were awestruck at the vast world in front of them, staring out the window into the blackness of space. The stars twinkled in their eyes, while Daresh sat back with a soft smile. He was happy that that his friends finally got a taste of freedom.

Daresh: Kenos. How long until we reach the void?

Kenos: Approximately 7 hours, 42 minutes, and 37 seconds and counting.

Daresh: Great. You guys might want to take a nap or something. We're gonna be here a while…

3 Hours later

Daresh turned around in his chair to look at the scouts, sound asleep on the floor and against the wall. He looked down, and tried to recall the nightmare the night before.

Kenos: Is something troubling you, operator?

Daresh: Hm? Nothing you should be concerned about. I just had a nightmare last night.

Kenos: Oh. Do you wish to discuss?

Daresh: It was...The death of Margulis.

Kenos: O-Oh. I...won't pry any further.

Daresh: I'm just worried about losing them too...They're so fragile, so young. Perhaps the void will give me some form of closure.

Kenos: I understand. You were alive during the uprising, correct?

Daresh: Yes. If you don't mind, I think I might want to go to sleep as well.

Kenos: Certainly. Autopilot engaged. You are now free to do as you please.

Daresh slowly drifted off to sleep, letting the hours pass by.

4 hours later

The Liset had reached the void's edge and was flying towards the nearest orokin tower.

Sasha stirred, her eyes slowly opening and adjusting to the light. She looked to the front of the ship to see a sleeping Tenno and a teal, hazy, fog outside.

Sasha: Guys, wake up! We're here!

Levi: Ugh...stop yelling, you brat.

Hange: Huh! What? Oh, I must have fallen asleep…OH MY GOD WHAT IS THAT?!

Jean: I'm guessing that's the void. Weird.

The rest of the scouts had woken up, stretching and yawning.

Kenos: Operator. Orokin tower in range. Shall we land there?

Daresh: Yes. Set a course for the tower.

The soldiers grabbed their guns and gear and prepared for landing.

END OF CHAPTER 11, PART ONE

Well, this has been an emotional rollercoaster, hasn't it? This chapter was pretty long and it wasn't finished, so I decided to make it a part one. Expect the next part to be just as long if not slightly shorter. I procrastinated so much when writing this chapter, so it was like "Ugh, I wanna, but I don't wanna."

Anyway, this chapter was a bitch to write.


	12. Chapter 11 Part two

Chapter 11: The Void, Part two

Location: Orokin tower, onboard the Liset

The sound of blades sharpening and guns loading filled the interior of the ship. Kenos had started construction of new equipment which was distributed by Daresh.

Kenos: Operator, these devices should let you maintain contact if you get separated.

Daresh: Thank you Kenos. Everyone, put these around your left ear.

The scouts did as told, some fidgeting with the small earpiece.

Daresh: There should be a button on it that will enable a push-to-talk function. Also, everyone, put on these masks. They're temporary oxygen supplies since we have to exit into a no-atmosphere environment.

The scouts prepared themselves as the ramp to the ship opened, a loud hissing filled the air, or lack of it— as the ship was decompressed. They walked down the ramp and onto the landing pad, shivering from the cold, empty space.

Location: Orokin tower, Interior

Daresh led the group inside and signaled them to get behind a corner. He peeked from the side out into the open hall, wary of what laid ahead.

Erwin: Why are we hiding?

Daresh: Ssh!

He removed a finger from his lips and pointed to a small group of creatures in shining white armor and clothes. They spoke in an unknown language and dialect. Erwin recalled his earlier conversation with Daresh. These were corrupted soldiers.

Erwin: Should we fight them?

Daresh: No, there's too many to fight and remain undetected...I have an idea though.

Erwin: And that would be…?

Daresh disappeared in a teal fog. The scouts could faintly see a hazy figure moving towards the group of soldiers. It turned to the left and made its way to an ornate console. The console beeped a few times, and an alarm began blaring through the hall.

Attention all units, intruder detected in: Section C-24. All units, converge on location.

The soldiers ran from the room, leaving the entryway clear for the scouts. Daresh reappeared near his friends and motioned them forward. The alarm kept ringing, allowing the scouts to move faster without fear of detection. After a few minutes, they reached a large room with ornate railings and a line of pods along the walls. Everyone was on edge, some more than others but worried nonetheless.

Jean: Uh...Does anyone else feel a bit...odd? Besides being worried about the soldiers back there. This room just feels off. I can't quite explain it.

Armin: Yeah, I don't know why but this place feels...familiar. I know I've never been here, though.

Daresh: Remember what I told you guys, The Void does different things to people. Just ignore it for now. Although, does anyone else feel like they're being watched?

Levi: Other than Four-eyes over here? Yeah. I feel it too. It's unsettling.

Daresh looked to the corner of the room at a cluster of cryopods. They were slowly rotating around on a carousel mechanism over a clear pool of water.

He felt dizzy for a moment, almost as if something clicked. He shook it off and walked to it. The pod he approached was identical to the one he woke up in. He wiped his hand across the foggy glass and saw a Warframe inside, slumbering with its arms crossed. He went to the other pods and did the same.

Each pod had a Warframe. His ship had quite a few different frames, but there were so many more here. Each pod had an inscription written in Orokin that read a name.

Ash. Atlas. Ivara. Nyx. Harrow. Trinity. Gara. Frost. Nekros. So many more warframes were in these pods. Some of them, Daresh didn't even know they existed.

He stood for a while, staring off into space. He wondered why these frames were here lying dormant.

He heard a beep and humming from behind him. Daresh turned to see a console that revealed itself from a hatch in the center of the room.

Hange was hovering over it, studying its design and trying to understand its function.

Daresh went to the console and watched Hange push random buttons. It was mildly amusing, but before he got a chance to tell her to stop, a blue transparent screen projected from the console. There was no video, just an audio recording. The scouts gathered around and listened. Daresh heard a Woman's voice.

It was slightly mechanical, but not because of the recording.

"This is a message to any and all Tenno. By the time you hear this message, I will be long gone. The Tenno are slowly fading, and I intend to preserve their legacy. I will send pods to distant corners of the galaxy in hopes that one day, the Tenno will rise once again.

If you are one of these who I send out, I'm sorry you had to find this message. You had to know eventually, and I was running out of time and options. Take these warframes and create a new generation of Tenno. I will have sealed them in the cryopods in this room. Hm? Who's there? Oh. Daresh, it's past curfew. Please return to your quarters." The message ended, and the scouts all looked to Daresh for an explanation.

He held his face in his hands, quietly sobbing.

Daresh: I...had no idea what was happening...I still remember that day…Lotus told me to go to bed, but when I looked in the quarters, nobody was there. I thought nothing of it. After that, I blacked out…

The door behind the scouts opened. A group of corrupted soldiers raised their weapons.

"Everyone! Scatter!"

After the shout, it was a blur. The ringing of gunfire, the alien chatter, and of course, panicked rambling.

Eren had hid behind one of the pods. Suddenly, he felt a jolt run up his spine. He looked up, and saw the name on the pod: Atlas. He wasn't sure how he could read it, but he had a gut feeling of what it said. He heard whispering, almost like it was calling him. He pushed his hand into a glowing mold, and the pod opened. His hands felt odd. They felt numb. Almost like pins and needles, but it didn't hurt. In fact, it felt...pleasant. The Warframe fell out flat on its face. His hands felt warmer, like dipping your hands in a warm lake. He started crawling to it. The closer he went, the feeling in his hands became more and more intense. The feeling in Eren's hands had now shifted to his chest.

He felt compelled to put his hands on the Warframe's broad shoulders.

And so he did.

Location: Eren's Mind, ???

"Huh?! Where am I? I was in the tower a second ago." Eren looked around him. Before him stood a mighty stone castle. Not really a castle, but more of a fortress made from what appeared to be raw, uncut stones and gems. He walked up to it, and a stone wall collapsed and exposed a gateway. Someone was expecting him.

Eren walked for what felt like hours down stony corridors. Occasionally, he would encounter a figure of stone. It would hold up an arm and point its finger left or right.

At last, he reached a dead end. The wall crumbled and gave way to what looked to be a throne room. He cautiously walked down the cobblestone pathway. He saw a figure that sat on a throne of rock. Eren recognized it as the Warframe from the tower. He walked further down the path, and the Warframe stood up and walked down the stone steps. They met in the middle of the room. The Warframe held out its fist, and gestured for Eren to do the same. They did a fist bump, and Eren blacked out.

Back to reality

He woke up to the sound of gunfire and yelling. Eren shook his head and looked down at his hands. These weren't his hands. He panicked for a moment until he remembered his dream. He stood up and looked around. He felt a sharp pain shoot through his arm. He put his hand over the wound and looked to the scouts. He spied Daresh, who nodded to him and gave a thumbs up.

Eren let out a battle cry and charged toward the corrupted soldiers. He staggered one and grabbed its arm. He planted a fist in its elbow, breaking its arm. It let out a screech before getting punched in the face. He ran to another and tackled it to the ground. He slammed his fist into its face, making its head explode in beautiful red giblets. (Mmm, juicy.)

The soldiers focused their attacks on Eren. He took a few bullets before raising a huge stone barrier. He didn't think he would do that. He didn't think he even could do that. With a mighty shove, the wall toppled forward and turned itself into a rolling ball of death. The soldiers stopped firing and started running. It was futile, the huge boulder crashed onto the group, squishing them and painting the floor and wall a bright crimson.

The scouts pushed forward, arrows and bullets flying. Erwin led the charge, the scouts firing at the straggling soldiers. Sasha fired an arrow, which flew through the air and pierced the helmet and skull of a heavy gunner. The gunner fell to the ground, lifeless and bloody. Daresh stayed at the back of the squad and waited for Eren.

Eren thought to himself, looking over his new body and flexing his new muscles.

Eren: This is amazing! How is this even possible?! I feel like I could carry the world on my shoulders! Is this what being a Tenno feels like?

Daresh: Feels good, right? Warframe abilities just give you that adrenaline rush we all crave, you know?

Eren: But...how did I manage to control it? I don't have any powers like you.

Daresh: Remember when I said 'The Void does different things to people'? Yeah, this is kind of what I meant. Although, I didn't exactly expect...this. Once we get rid of the corrupted soldiers, I'll need your help to transport these Warframe pods. If you became a Tenno just by being in the void, I have a feeling you're not the only one to have the potential to be one as well.

Eren nodded in understanding, and went over to a Warframe pod. He rubbed his hands together, and lifted the pod. He lifted the whole freaking pod.

He was astonished by his newfound strength. Eren almost stumbled back from how easily he lifted it because he braced himself a little too much. His footsteps thundered through the room, which got the attention of his comrades.

He held the pod above his head and walked to the door.

Eren: This...seems...Huff...familiar...hoo boy, this is heavy despite what it looks like.

Daresh: Maybe one of your new abilities can help a bit.

Eren: What? What's that supposed to mean?

Daresh: Use your warframe's powers. Just focus your mind, and contextual instincts will take over. Probably.

Eren set down the pod and took a deep breath. His fists began to coat themselves in a thick layer of stone. Next were his arms, and then his shoulders. With a loud roar, he slammed his fists into the ground.

Rocks erupted from the ground and scattered in front of him. They began rolling towards each other and slowly built themselves into stone golems.

Eren marveled at his new creations then pointed to the pod. The golems lifted the pod with ease and carried it back to the entrance of the tower.

1 Hour later, onboard the Liset

With all the Warframe pods gathered on the ship, the scouts sat on the cold floor of the interior. With a collective sigh of relief and the cool air blowing in their faces, the Liset hovered above the ground, and flew off back out into the void. The scouts relaxed on the ship, celebrating and hugging each other.

Though, none of them were aware that something had followed them home...


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: The 57th Expedition

Location: Scout Headquarters, Wall Maria

Time had passed since the void expedition. The scout regiment had a new arsenal, more supplies, and even new warframes to use when the time arose. While Eren was the first to display his new abilities, Armin quickly caught up due to previous experience with operating a Warframe. Their current power extended only to channeling and faster reflexes.

Erwin, Levi, and Daresh were inside Erwin's office discussing the plans and objective for the 57th expedition beyond the walls.

Daresh: I don't understand. Why go outside the walls on another reconnaissance mission? We already know it's not safe out there and that there's something in Eren's basement back home. So what's the point?

Levi: If you would fucking listen, you'll know.

Erwin: It's just a recon mission. Nothing more.

Daresh: You might be hard to read, but we both know that's bullshit. If you want me to help you survive and not get mercilessly slaughtered, I suggest you keep me in the loop of things around here.

Erwin sighed. He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, looking Daresh straight in the eye.

Erwin: There is reason to assume there is a traitor among us. Do you remember the chaos of last week? Hange's Titan test subjects were killed in the night. I went around asking people questions to see their reactions.

Daresh: Huh. So that's why you were going around whispering in people's ears like a weirdo. Well, this explains a lot. Any leads?

Erwin: Unfortunately, no. We're hoping the spy will show up on the expedition and accidentally expose themselves.

Daresh: Alright, I'll play along. What do you want me to do?

Levi: That depends. Got any new gadgets to pull out of your ass?

Daresh: As a matter of fact, I do. Kenos has finished constructing a set of archwing launchers.

Erwin: Very well. You are both dismissed.

Daresh and Levi stood and saluted before leaving the office.

Later that evening…

Daresh sat on the roof of the barracks, staring up at the stars. Night was calming for him. The sound of crickets filled the cool night air. He heard the creak of the balcony door and turned his head to see who it was. Mikasa emerged from the doorway and sat beside him. She looked oddly agitated. Usually, she was almost dead quiet. "Hey. What's up?" He asked.

Mikasa: I'm worried about Eren. The expedition is coming in a few days.

Daresh: You guys were trainees just a little while ago. What do you expect?

Mikasa: It's not that. I made a promise to my adopted mother, Mrs. Jaeger, that I would protect him. Eren is the only family I have left…

Daresh: Ouch. Painful backstory?

Mikasa: Mhmm.

Daresh: I'm not going to ask about it. You should get some rest. You were training pretty hard today.

Mikasa: You're right. I should go. Before I leave, I have a question.

Daresh: What's your question?

Mikasa: If I cannot, will you keep Eren safe?

Daresh: I...Yes. Yes I will. You have my word.

Mikasa stood up and walked back inside. Daresh laid back against the roof tiles with his hands behind his head. He thought to himself about their conversation. Was she really that concerned for him? He could turn into a titan, What was there to worry about?

The next day...

The scouts were woken up earlier than usual. They each clumsily walked out into the mess hall to get their breakfast. Daresh spied Mikasa sitting with Eren and Armin. She looked like she hadn't slept at all. He decided he would sit with them today.

Daresh: Hey guys.

Armin: Daresh! These abilities are amazing! I can make my hands glow!

Daresh: So you've discovered channeling? It makes your attacks stronger.

Armin: Oh, so that's what it does. I thought it just looked cool.

Daresh: Eren. I suggest we train and attempt to improve control of your Warframe. You were a little shaky the last time you used Atlas. Meet me in the training area after you're done eating.

Eren: I guess a little training wouldn't hurt…Mikasa, are you alright? You look exhausted.

Mikasa: I'm fine, just didn't get a lot of sleep.

Mikasa glanced at Daresh who took a swig of water and returned a nod. She wouldn't dare discuss her conversation last night with anyone else. Daresh finished his bread, then took his tray to the trash can.

10 minutes later, Location: Training grounds

Daresh and Eren sparred with their Warframes. The swordsman, Excalibur versus the mighty stone elemental, Atlas. They fought long and hard, exchanging blows and scorching the earth below them. Jean and Connie snuck away from the stables to watch the battle. In the end, The Titan of stone was victorious. Eren helped up Daresh, offering a hand to him. Erwin watched their duel, and decided to go out to congratulate Eren on his victory.

Erwin: Scouts! Atten-SHUN!

The scouts turned to him and saluted.

Erwin: At ease. Eren, your combat skills have shown significant improvement. As for you Daresh, come with me.

Daresh shrugged and followed Erwin back inside. Was he in trouble? Was something wrong?

Daresh: Erwi— Uh, Sir. What did you need from me?

Erwin: I've been rather antsy since the void expedition. Surely you've noticed?

Daresh: Yes. Are you nervous about the Expedition this week?

Erwin: Yes, but that isn't the reason. I've been hearing whispers. Someone whispering in my ears. When I turn to the source, I vaguely see something in the corner of my eye. When I blink, it's gone. I've never gotten a good look at it.

Daresh: Heh. Sounds like you've seen a ghost, haha!

Erwin: It happens most often near the storage room in the basement, where the Warframe pods are stored.

Daresh: I— Oh. I see. Let's take a look.

Location: Basement/storage room

Erwin led Daresh into the basement. Daresh turned on one of the lanterns.

Daresh: Is this the place?

Erwin: Yes. It happens almost everytime I go down- WHO'S THERE? Show yourself!

Daresh: there's nobody else down here. Did you hear something?

Erwin: Just the whispers again. Let's just inspect the pods and get out.

Daresh poked around the room, checking cracks and crevices for anything suspicious. Daresh opened some of the Warframe pods.

Daresh: Nope, nothing in that one...let's try this one. Valkyr? Nope. How about this one?

Erwin: Hmm...try that one.

Daresh: Alright. Let's see what's in this one...GAH! Well, there's your problem!

The pod was holding a Warframe reminiscent of a bishop or priest. It gave off a rather eerie feeling, sending shivers through anyone who looked at it. The whispers Erwin had heard most likely came from here.

Erwin: The whispers just got louder. Is this the source?

Daresh: Yeah. This is Harrow. Now it makes sense why you kept hearing things.

Erwin: Would you mind explaining?

Daresh: Harrow was always a weird one. While his abilities were very powerful, anyone who used it would always end up going insane. Some believed they weren't worthy. Others believed the reason for it was Harrow's original Operator. His name was Rell. He was an outcast among Tenno, shunned by us just because he behaved differently. I felt so bad for him. I wanted to help him, but I couldn't do anything for him. He was the most in-tune with the void than any other Tenno. He was stranded on the Zariman vessel with the rest of us. Over time, he gained a unique understanding of the void. He claimed there was an entity in the void, a consciousness, something called 'The Man in The Wall'. He sealed the man and himself in his warframe, preventing the entity from escaping.

Erwin: That all makes sense, but why follow me? Why keep whispering to me?

Daresh: There's only one explanation I can think of: You're next in line to use Harrow.

Erwin: That seems like a logical conclusion. How do I use this thing?

Daresh: Alright, let me just prop up harrow...Alrighty. Put your hands on his shoulders.

Erwin did as instructed, and a terrifying chill ran through his body as his vision became blurry.

Location: Erwin's mind

Erwin: What the…? What is this place?

"RAP. TAP. TAP."

Erwin: Who said that?!

"COME TO ME…"

In the center of the room, a hole opened up into a large chamber below. Erwin jumped down the hole into the next room. Inside, the room was adorned with ancient relics, moving statues of white and gold. Along the walls were golden rails against a pitch black background. In the center of the room was a huge, burning tree.

Erwin: Show yourself! I know you're in here.

"I HAVE BEEN WATCHING YOU FOR A LONG TIME...YOU ARE THE HEIR TO HARROW...I TRIED TO SPEAK, BUT COULD NOT REACH YOU. BUT NOW, YOU HAVE BROUGHT ME TO YOU. COME CLOSER, ERWIN. COME CLOSER AND THROW OFF YOUR SHACKLES…"

Erwin stepped towards the burning tree. Upon closer inspection, the tree cradled the Harrow Warframe in its branches, bound in place by chains. There was an ornate dagger embedded in the tree bark. He pulled out the dagger, and a horrible screech filled the chamber.

"TELL ME...HOW MUCH ARE YOU WILLING TO SACRIFICE?"

Around the room, the scouts appeared one by one. Why? Why were they here?

"YOU FIGHT FOR THE GOOD OF HUMANITY. ARE A FEW LIVES WORTH MORE THAN THAT?"

His hand trembled, realizing what he had to do. He slowly walked over to Hange, looked into her empty eyes, and took the blade across her throat. The body fell to the floor and disappeared into ash.

Behind him, Erwin heard one of the chains snap. He repeated the process with the others, tears streaming down his face. When the last chain broke, Harrow fell from the tree. It stood up and walked over to Erwin, who had collapsed to his knees, sobbing.

"IT IS DONE...NO MORE SUFFERING...YOU ARE WORTHY. RISE, ERWIN. LET US MAKE HISTORY."

Back to reality…

Erwin woke up screaming. That was a horrible nightmare. He now understood why people went insane if they used harrow. He looked around and saw he was in his bed. Who brought him here? Pushing that mystery aside, he looked down at his hands. Sharp, clawed fingers.

A new body.

???: Oh good, you're awake.

Levi stood in the doorway, propped against the frame.

Erwin: What happened?

Levi: Daresh said you were out for longer than what was normal, so we carried you back up here. When you're feeling better, come downstairs. He wants to talk to you.

Erwin: Thank you, Levi. I will be down shortly.

Levi left the room and went back downstairs. Erwin looked back down at his hands, then pulled off the bed sheets and stood up. Then he fell. And got back up. Then fell again. After getting his footing one more time, he practiced walking. He took small, careful steps so he wouldn't fall flat on his face like an idiot. He felt like a baby learning to walk. Eventually, Erwin got the feel for his new legs and went out the door. There sat his next challenge: Stairs. He carefully took a step, then another, and another. Reaching the bottom of the stairway, he let out a sigh of relief. If anyone saw or even heard him fall down the steps, he would never hear the end of it.

Erwin, still a bit wobbly, walked down the hall into the living room. Daresh was sitting on the sofa twirling a ball of energy in his hands. He must have heard Erwin come in, as he stopped and turned around to face him.

Daresh: Hello. Enjoying your new body?

Erwin: More or less. I can barely keep my feet in a straight line. I have a bit of a concern though.

Daresh: You saw something in the Warframe, didn't you?

Erwin: You're quite astute. Yes I did, and I'd rather not talk much about it.

Daresh: Well, vivid hallucinations aside, why don't I teach you how to use it? The expedition is two days from now. You should be prepared.

Location: Training grounds.

Daresh: Okay, Erwin. Let's start with Harrow's basic abilities. His main tool is the thurible. You must bring this tool into existence through your will.

Erwin: How might I do that?

Daresh: Just think about what you want to do with the frame before you do it. Now, summon the thurible.

Erwin thought long about what to do. He visualized what he wanted, held his hand out, and made it so. In his hand rested a glowing stone, encased in metal and attached to a chain and handle. It looked like a flail, but not entirely designed for combat.

Erwin: That's interesting. Did I do it?

Daresh: Indeed you have. Let's get started…

[INSERT WARFRAME TRAINING MONTAGE HERE BECAUSE I REALLY DON'T HAVE THE CREATIVE POWER TO NARRATE IT. Use your imaginations.]

Later that evening…

After a long day of training and preparation, the scouts were exhausted. Sleep would be a divine gift from above. Daresh sat with Erwin in his office, discussing the upcoming expedition.

Erwin: ...And if our little spy shows themselves, we will lead them into the forest of giant trees. There, we will lie in wait with binding traps. They are designed for restraining a single Titan with corkscrew hooks. The blade pierces the Titan, and becomes embedded further the more it regenerates.

Daresh: How do you know the traitor is a Titan?

Erwin: Eren has the ability to turn into a Titan. It is only logical to assume there are more with the same power. Perhaps the Armored and Colossal titans are similar in nature.

Daresh: From What I've been informed of, most likely. They're unique specimens. That sort of drastic biological mutation doesn't just happen naturally.

Erwin: Indeed. That is why I need you on this expedition to provide assistance with the possible capture and interrogation of the spy.

Daresh: I would be happy to oblige, on one condition.

Erwin: What would that be?

Daresh: Allow me to conduct the interrogation. I was a disciple of the Naramon Tenno school. Through rigorous studies and practice, I've been capable of casting a small psychic influence. As a matter of fact, I've been using it ever since I arrived here.

Erwin: Incredible. I've never noticed it.

Daresh: That's the idea.

Erwin: Very well, if we manage to successfully capture the spy, you will be the one to speak to them.

Daresh: Thank you Sir. Now if you don't mind, I'm going off to bed now.

Daresh stood and saluted before walking down the hall to the bunks. He flopped down onto his bed, muffling sighs into his pillow. All through the night, everything was still…

END OF CHAPTER 12

Woo! This chapter took waaaaaayyy longer to write than I wanted it to. This was mostly just another filler chapter, since I didn't want to just immediately jump into the expedition right after the void. We also got some character development in this chapter, and a new Warframe! Fun fact: Harrow is my 3rd favorite Warframe, right behind Nidus and Inaros! Remember when I said this would make major plot deviations later on? That kicks into effect next chapter. Just an FYI. Glad you've stuck around this long, I appreciate all the support I've gotten on this fic!


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Disaster

Location: Scout Headquarters, Wall Rose

Today was the day of the 57th expedition. While some were excited to venture out beyond the walls for the first time, veterans of the scouts knew the horrors that awaited them.

Daresh sat inside the Liset, checking off the list of supplies they would need.

Daresh: Let's see...Blades? Check. Gas? Check. Ammunition? Check. Archwing and weapons? Double check.

Levi: Daresh. A word?

Daresh: Gah! Jeebus, don't do that! You know how I hate people sneaking up on me!

Levi: Sure. Listen, you've been completely disrespectful to your superiors ever since you arrived here. You may be some all-powerful being from another world or something for all I care, but there's still a chain of command. I suggest you get your shit together if you don't want to get stuck with cleaning duty for the rest of your life. Being on your commanding officer's bad side is never fun.

Daresh: Y-Yes Sir. Understood. I will follow your orders from now on.

Levi: Good. I expect your best performance out there. That's all I wanted to say.

As Levi turned to leave, Daresh remembered the crate in the corner full of supplies.

Daresh: Sir. Before you leave, take these devices with you and distribute them to the regiment. They're comms units. Just push this button, and everyone who's wearing one will be able to hear you. Be sure to relay that to your squad so they know how to use them.

Levi took the container with him back inside the barracks.

Kenos: Operator, I am concerned for your safety. Judging by data of previous losses provided by Hange, I predict a 64.3% to 76.2% mortality rate. Are you sure this expedition is a good idea?

Daresh: Yes. These people need help. I was brought to them for a reason. If Onkko of the quills taught me anything, it's that everything happens for a reason, even if it seems horrible or unnecessary. Do you remember the old war? The sentients pushed us back with no hope in sight. But we pushed on. We kept fighting, Kenos. No matter what, we fought like it was our last day alive. I intend to show the same dedication for the people of these walls.

Kenos: I see. If you intend to devote yourself to them, I will do the same. I will follow your lead to the bitter end.

Daresh: Thank you. Let us prepare. The time of the expedition is drawing near.

Two Hours later, Location: Wall Maria, Karanes District

Hundreds of scouts awaited on horseback for the gate to rise. At the top of the wall, Daresh stood, Ferrox staff in hand and archwing ready for action. A yellow flare was shot into the air, marking the start of the mission. The gate lifted, and the soldiers rode together, side by side in a tight formation.

Daresh walked to the edge and leaned off. He started falling, waiting for the archwing to start up. In a burst of heat and light, the mechanical set of wings sprung to life, jetting him across the sky.

For the first time in a while, he truly felt free. Completely devoid of responsibility, flying through the sky, free as a bird.

A red flare brought him back to his senses, reminding him at the task at hand. Daresh soared through the air over the center rank, providing air support and taking down any titans that got too close.

15 Minutes later…(Lotta time skips recently, huh?)

So far, the mission was going smoothly. There weren't many casualties, and the comms were relatively quiet except for the occasional Titan callout.

???: Ack...H-hello? I-if anyone can hear me, or is even still alive...The right wing is down. We just got massacred…A huge wave of titans just stomped through here! We didn't stand a chance! Wait...W-what are you?! No! Get away from me! AAAHH!!

The transmission cut out, the fate of the soldier most likely death. What killed him, nobody knew. A new enemy lurked beyond the formation, waiting for a chance to strike.

Erwin: Daresh, Can you hear me?

Daresh: Yes Sir. I heard the transmission. Do you think it's the spy?

Erwin: Can't be sure. Head towards the area and investigate.

Daresh: Yes Sir.

Daresh zoomed through the sky, the trees and broken structures becoming a blur. As he slowed down, he began to notice an increasing number of bodies. Most of them weren't even eaten, just...broken, like they were thrashed around or just crushed. In the distance, he spotted an unusual Titan, it had a lean build with exposed skin and muscle. Even stranger, it appeared to be female.

Daresh: Uh...This is Daresh to Center formation, we have a situation. There appears to be an abnormal Titan running around. Titan is of 14 meter variety, exposed skin, and is apparently female. There's a lot of bodies around here and no other titans in sight. Subject appears to be...Headed toward left wing. Wait a minute, Soldier! Do not engage, I repeat! Do not engage! Oh my god. She just flung that guy by his cables. Attention all units, the female titan is to be considered abnormal and extremely dangerous. Do not engage under any circumstance.

Erwin: Copy that. Daresh. Come back here, we need to talk.

Daresh turned around and flew back towards the center formation. He found Erwin and flew low to the ground beside him.

Daresh: Think that's our spy?

Erwin: Most likely. We have binding traps in the nearby forest.

???: That's her! That's the bitch who killed Eren!

Daresh: Armin? Is that you? What are you talking about?

Armin: She killed him! I saw her stomp his body into the ground!

Daresh: Armin, are you thinking straight? Eren's with us.

Armin: Don't let that suicidal bastard's death be in vain! Wh- Reiner! No! Ah...he's...he's gone…

Daresh: Armin, the hell is going on over there?!

Armin: Wait! He's alive! Yeah! That'll teach ya to mess with him!

Daresh: What. Is. happening. Over. There?

Armin: The female titan attacked us! We barely got away! Wait...where's it going?

Reiner: It looks like it's headed towards you guys. Watch yourselves!

Erwin shot off a green flare towards the forest. The distant soldiers relayed the message and converged on the entrance.

Location: Forest of Giant Trees

The scouts sat among the treetops, waiting for the female titan to show herself. The forest was usually quiet, but today was not a usual day. The air was uneasy, dread lingering in the minds of the soldiers. Slowly, the sound of giant footsteps grew louder and louder. The galloping hooves of horses drew nearer, soldiers readying their blades. Levi's squad raced through the forest, signaling the titan's approach.

The behemoth ran right through the trap, eyes widening at the realization of her mistake.

"FIRE!"

Hundreds of cables shot into the titan, binding her in place. When the smoke and dust settled, there she was, covering her nape and completely helpless. She looked terrified.

Hange: WOOHOO! We did it!

Levi: it's not over yet. We still have to figure out who this is. Hey, Titan! Do feel bad for all these people you killed? Are you even human in there? I'll tear you apart myself if I have to.

Erwin: Levi! That's enough! Daresh, perhaps you could be of assistance?

Daresh: Yes Sir.

Daresh hovered over to the Titan, who was wiggling in place, scared out of her mind.

Daresh: Hey there. So, you're the female titan. I'm guessing you're the one who killed our Titan test subjects, Yes? That was quite risky. If you had left them alone, we would have never suspected you. First mistake in the Tenno book of stealth: Making yourself known. Not the brightest idea. I'm Daresh if you hadn't already guessed. You?

The Titan let out a growl and bared her teeth.

Daresh: Sheesh. Not much of a talker, huh? Well. We can do this one of three ways. One: we can do this the easy way. You just come on out, and your sentence will be mitigated, and your interrogation will be conducted by little old me. I'll try and fabricate a death story so you no longer exist. Two: we can do this the hard way, and I have Levi over there carve out your innards and turn you into a tent. Option three: I use transference and go inside your head, expose you to unimaginable psychological horror, and torment you because YOU DIDN'T PICK OPTION ONE!

The female titan internally yelped. She looked around and thought to herself.

Daresh: Since you seem to be thinking it over, I'm going to be nice and give you till midnight to decide. No, we're not leaving. Hate to get you down, but we're not letting you go that easily.

Erwin: What? No. Daresh, we can't just stay here.

Daresh: You wanted to catch this spy? We're doing it my way. Quit complaining. I have my methods. I would prefer to conduct a peaceful interrogation. An angry subject is an unreliable and uncooperative subject.

The female titan groaned and sighed. This was going to be a long day…

3 Hours later, Evening. (Skiparoonie.)

Daresh hovered over her head and dropped down onto the female titan's long blonde hair.

Daresh: Huh. Titan hair is surprisingly soft. Since you probably have a human body, this one's probably only been around for a short time. Guess it hasn't collected much dirt or grime, huh?

Erwin: Daresh, I need to speak with you.

Daresh got up and hovered over to the branch Erwin stood on. He lowered himself down and detached the archwing.

Erwin: This was supposed to be a short mission. We don't have enough supplies to last until night. We need to capture the spy as soon as possible. It's now or never.

Daresh: I know you're anxious to get this done and over with, but these things take time.

Erwin: Time is the one thing we don't have now.

Sasha: Guys! Something's out there...I don't know what it is, but it's out there and it's angry! I can feel it getting closer!

Eren: Sasha! Where are you?

Sasha: We're stationed at the edge of the forest. There are a few titans here, but that's about it.

Eren: Keep your eyes open. There could be more Titan shifters.

As darkness slowly crept across the sky, mindless titans slowed to a crawl and the birds and other woodland critters settled for the night. The female titan grew weary and tired, its body expelling steam from its mouth, neck, and arms.

Daresh: Well, my gigantic friend? Have you decided? Time waits for nobody. I can tell you're struggling to keep this form active.

Sasha: Something's happening in the forest! The ground has glowing blue cracks in it! There are these weird cube shaped things floating around!

Daresh: WHAT?!

Petra: Huh, there's some here, as well. They're actually kinda cute.

Daresh: Stay away from them! No, no, no, no! This can't be happening…

Armin: What's happening? What are they?

Daresh: Erwin! We need to leave!

Erwin: I thought you wanted to stay. Why leave now?

Daresh: No, you don't understand! We can't fight what's coming! Forget the female titan! We need to leave, now!

Levi: You've never been this worried. How are those little things possibly a threat to us?

Oluo: Besides, you're with the best of the best!

Daresh: I'm not as worried about the little ones, I'm concerned about what their presence means.

Sasha: Uh, something big is coming!

Erwin: Scouts! Prepare for battle!

Armin: We still don't know what's happening!

Daresh: No! Don't prepare for battle! Run for the hills!

Hange: WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?!

A mechanical roar resounded through the forest, shaking the trees and silencing the scouts. Thunderous footsteps were heard moving closer and closer. At first listen, it would easily be mistaken for a titan's steps. From deep within the forest, a blue aura shone through the trees and illuminated the endless maze of wood. The aura covered a large, spindly creature. It was huge, standing at a massive 20 meters in height. Its body created from ancient yet advanced materials creaked and groaned, shaking the ground below it with every step.

Hange: What IS that thing?

Daresh: T-that's an Eidolon teralyst...They're fragments of a much larger sentient.

Erwin: If I remember correctly, you said the sentients were enemies in the old war?

Daresh: Yes. I recall some Sentients becoming bigger than others, but I've never seen a teralyst this big…

Levi: Is there any way to kill it?

Daresh: Yes. You can weaken its shields, then attack the joints.

Oluo: That's it? Sounds easy! Alright, this will only take a moment.

Daresh: Olu! No! Fall back!

Daresh's plea fell on deaf ears. Ears that were too cocky and confident to heed his warning. Oluo sped through the treetops, pushing off tree trunks and hooking into the branches. The teralyst let out a loud growl, its mechanical cries making the scouts' skin crawl.

Oluo swung around the beast, getting its attention. He spotted the joints on the kneecaps and elbows, and went in for a well placed strike. His swords clattered against the air, repelled by an unseen force. Olu was sent flying backwards into a tree, falling to the ground and breaking a few ribs and his left leg.

"Fine then...if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get."

Daresh reignited the archwing and zoomed off towards the teralyst. His mind was racing, fearing for his comrade's life. He lost too many people already on this crack-shot of a mission, and he wasn't about to lose another. Levi followed him close behind.

Daresh took aim with the ferrox staff, and fired at the creature. The bolt of plasma bounced off its body and into a tree, blowing a chunk out of it and sending it crashing to the ground. He flew to the ground in front of the creature, gazing up in all its massive, terrifying glory. Daresh exited his frame and ran under the creature's legs.

"Hey! Over here, you walking pile of scrap!"

The teralyst groaned, turned around and looked down. Below it, Daresh taunted the beast. It raised its arm, which started glowing a bright, blue light at the tip. The light shot from its arm into the ground below, creating a huge crater of glowing residue.

"Missed me!"

Daresh taunted from behind it, and sent the beast into a fit of anger. Levi dropped down by Olu and shook his shoulders a bit.

Levi: Olu! Wake up! Stay with me!

Oluo: I...failed you...Corporal…

Levi: No you didn't, you tried your best. That's all we can ever do. Can you stand?

Oluo: I think my leg is broken...AGH! Few ribs too…

Levi: That's bad. Alright, I'll carry you. This is going to hurt a bit.

Levi picked up Oluo in his arms and shot a hook into the treetops. The extra weight would weigh him down, but saving his comrade was top priority. Oluo could feel the pain in his chest, ribs poking into flesh from being curled up and carried. Levi brought Oluo back to the other scouts. They grimaced, horrified of what happened to Oluo.

The teralyst was furiously trying to squash this bug that pestered it. It raised its arm into the air, and fired a blast of energy into the night sky. It came back down, splitting into thousands of smaller shots.

"You have GOT to be kidding me."

A few of the shots got close to the scouts. The trees were shredded and battered from the explosive volley, some of the shots even reaching the female titan. The binding traps were broken and destroyed, and the Titan let out a shriek before bolting away into the night.

Realizing that the mission was a complete failure, Daresh retreated to his warframe and flew back to the scouts. He pushed the button on his earpiece and spoke.

Daresh: Scouts! We have to retreat! This thing is way too powerful to take down. We'd need at least 3 more Tenno to even have a chance of making a dent in this thing! Wait, where's the female titan?

Levi: It ran off after the traps were damaged.

Erwin: Full retreat! Return to the horses and head back to the walls!

The scouts did as they were commanded. Across the barren plains, the teralyst's shrieks and cries echoed throughout the night air. Later while laying in his bed, Erwin thought to himself. _This was a total disaster._

END OF CHAPTER 13

That went well, huh? Look at that, boys and girls! A creature double feature! Let's see just how many people get that joke.

I was originally going to bring the other warframes on the expedition, but halfway through, I was like "Oh crap, I forgot I was gonna do that". I am planning on giving the female titan a bit of a choice at the end of the arc, and I wanted some opinions before that rolls around. See you next time, guys!


	15. ANNOUNCEMENT 1

DING DONG BITCHES, I'M BACK!

First of all, I owe you all an apology for me being quiet for so long. I'm sorry. I truly am. I've been caught up in life affairs like school and stuff. Part of it is not only that, but I am lazy as hell by nature, and the other part is writer's block.

See, when I write a chapter, I go with whatever comes to mind. Therefore, I have a bit of a problem with story continuity. By that, I mean that once I set forward events in a story, I have a tough time finding a place to pick up. I have tons of ideas for my stories, but each of them contradicts the others or has absolutely no correlation with the others.

Which brings me to my next point: Optional/Joke chapters. I'm currently working on multiple optional silly chapters for my main story (Attack on Warframe). I plan to release them as filler chapters for those who just want me to upload something.

I'm not sure what to do for these optional chapters, so please submit your ideas to me either in a review or PM and you'll get the opportunity to directly influence what I write. You will also be credited for your ideas. Now I know what you're thinking at this point, and no, I'm not charging money for you to be part of this project thing or whatever. I started these stories for shits and giggles, and I intend to keep it that way. It's all free. All I ask for is your support in my future stories and honest feedback. If you don't like my stuff, oh well. Why are you still reading this, then?

Anyway, now that THAT'S out of the way, I'd like to take a moment to thank you all who follow the things I create. When I first joined Fanfiction, I was thinking people would be like "Wtf am I reading? What is dis weeb shit?" Turns out, this community is pretty great. It's a great place for people to express their ideas without fear of shame or bullying. The kind of stuff I've read is just…No. Never again.

Right then, I think that about covers it. Anything I'm missing…? No? Alright then. See ya! And happy New year!

This has been a CTRLV broadcast brought to you by Sir Fart.


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